The Bosphorus Despotate's sudden attack on the Kandar Beylik, an Ottoman vassal state, was an undeclared war that caught the surrounding nations off guard and immediately changed the tide of the conflict.
Murad II soon realized that the Bosphorus's true target had always been the Ottomans, and the Sultan was both shocked and enraged.
For a moment, he even considered personally leading half of the elite Asia Minor Legion back to deal with Manuel.
However, the imminent threat of the Crusaders prevented his plan, and the holy fire disease, showing no signs of retreat, also forced the Sultan to concentrate his efforts.
Ultimately, Murad had no choice but to hastily dispatch ten thousand troops under his eldest son, Ahmed, and his son-in-law, Mahmud Pasha, to intercept the Romans who dared to declare war on him.
After the news of the Bosphorus's swift strike on Kandar reached Constantinople, Barbara, who had already been sent to Constantinople to avoid the conflict, was overjoyed upon learning that her Little husband had finally made his move and began to pray for him wholeheartedly.
At this time, she also recalled the confidential conversation she had with her Little husband on the night before her departure—
"So, I'm sorry, Barbara, for your and Theodore's safety and other circumstances, the best refuge I can think of is only Constantinople." That night in the palace bedchamber, Manuel, dressed in his nightclothes, apologized to his wife, who was also in her nightclothes, with a hint of guilt.
However, Barbara was more understanding.
"Alright, alright, don't make such a long face.
This isn't so bad, after all, I haven't seen my mother in a long time." As she spoke, she simply extended her slender, jade-like finger and gently poked his cheek, just as they used to do when they were younger.
Her gesture amused Manuel, whose spirits were not high at the time.
After a chuckle, he casually asked her, "By the way, do you have any suggestions or questions for your Little husband before you leave?"
"Then I'll speak plainly." Barbara was not shy and directly stated her confusion, "Why borrow so many ducats by issuing bonds? Even by diligently collecting taxes from farmers for a year, three thousand ducats is not a debt the Bosphorus can afford to repay."
"So the Autocratic State cannot possibly repay all of this debt.
Don't forget that even the Ottoman Sublime Porte has purchased Bosphorus national bonds, and plundering wealth through war can also alleviate urgent needs, can't it?" Facing his beloved wife, Manuel was very Frank and made no concealment.
"But what if we lose the war?" Barbara couldn't help but think of the worst possible outcome.
"Then that's not a problem we need to consider."
"?"
"What I mean is," her Little husband lowered his head, his gaze obscured by the night, "if it truly comes to that, there will be no Bosphorus left in this world."
Snapping out of her memories, a helpless, bitter smile had already appeared on Barbara's face.
Her Little husband, in order to achieve true victory, really left no escape route for himself...
But to win, he must have many other tricks up his sleeve, right?
"Then as one of Manuel's helpers and contingencies, I cannot disappoint his expectations." With this thought, Barbara became invigorated and settled down in her room to write letters: one to the Philaka Legion officers sent by the Bosphorus to Constantinople to help with its defense, and another to maintain contact with her Little husband under the guise of daily life.
As for the contingencies Barbara believed in, Manuel indeed had them; otherwise, he would not have chosen to strike Kandar at this time.
On September 10, 1444, a large-scale rebellion erupted on the western coast of Asia Minor under Ottoman rule.
Three days later, Halil Aydinoglu, the descendant of the surviving members of the Aydin family who had long since returned to Izmir and the adopted son of Caesar Manuel, emerged from the shadows and officially led the Aydin remnants in rebellion against the Ottomans.
Soon after the uprising, the Aydin rebels captured most of Izmir and some nearby ports, attempting to bring the Franks from the Crusaders into Western Anatolia, forcing the Ottomans to fight on multiple fronts.
This matter quickly reached the Sultan's ears as an urgent report, and Murad II was naturally furious about it.
After an emergency meeting overnight, he detached another five thousand troops from the Anatolia Legion and also sent back a Janissary Corps, appointing his son-in-law Mahmud Pasha as the General of this force to suppress the Aydin rebellion.
The Ottoman Empire being forced to divide its forces due to the stalemate in the war undoubtedly gave the Bosphorus, whose strength was underestimated, an opportune moment.
Upon learning that Murad had sent his eldest son to lead a large army to try and stop him, Manuel, who was in Orduköy Village, east of the main city of Sinop, did not become anxious but instead calmly assessed the situation:
After three days of surprise attacks, the Bosphorus had successfully occupied the Bafra region and the Isthmus area west of Sinop.
While advancing the front, it also successfully cut off and isolated the Sinop Peninsula, where the main city of Sinop is located, from the mainland, isolating the main urban area where Kandar Bey Isma'il was located through naval superiority.
The reason for achieving such results in just three days, besides the Bosphorus's accumulated strength and information advantage, was also due to the Ottoman Empire withdrawing its main forces from the Kandar Beylik to deal with the European situation and the holy fire disease spreading across Asia Minor at this time.
So, his next course of action was clear.
Looking at the now riddled Kandar army, Manuel unhesitatingly waved his left hand and issued a military order, "Continue, attack Sinop Peninsula by land and sea."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Two days later, Manuel personally led the Armenian Legion and the Pontus Fourth Legion, and through studying the terrain, quickly devised the most effective assault plan.
Late on the fifth night of the siege of Sinop, the Bosphorus directly attacked Sinop city through the weakest point of the city gate, skillfully capturing this important town, defended by fewer than 300 men, at the cost of fewer than 30 casualties.
With their retreat blocked by the enemy navy and the Bosphorus Roman soldiers pressing in, the young and impetuous Kandar Bey Isma'il, overwhelmed with grief and indignation, ultimately committed suicide in his palace in the early hours of the morning.
When the Bosphorus Caesar, surrounded by his soldiers, stepped into the Kandar Palace, he somewhat absently caressed the linden wood beam in front of him.
And this city, which had fallen into foreign hands nearly 180 years ago, finally returned to the hands of the Romans in such a dramatic fashion.
Feeling quite moved, he asked the accompanying priest to hand him a Bible, and as he flipped through it, he inquired about the battle situation from his Pontus Army Commander.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, due to the Kandar people's depleted defenses and the main force being redeployed, the troops led by General Dungar have already nearly reached Guerze."
"Is that so? Very good, have him rendezvous with Us as soon as possible and merge forces." Speaking of this, Manuel, who had now reached the section on the Gospel of Matthew, gently closed the scripture and, with unwavering resolve, looked up and commanded:
"Continue the advance to Kastamonu."
"And remember: 'Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth.
I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.' ①"